Today at 5 am I met my neighbor for a 3 mile run. First of all I am NEVER up this early. I like to sleep in as late as the kids do. But in light of the fact that it is June and the weather is hotter than Hades, a run before the sun comes out is perfect for me. I would rather run in a blizzard than in the heat of the summer…but I have to say that being done with my run by 5:30 feels pretty good. It’s out of the way for the day, done, finished, don’t need to worry or think about when I will get out there and get it done.
So at 5 am in the dark I started to the top of my street to meet my neighbor. I could vaguely see her as she walked towards me. All I could think was “Why are we doing this? I could still be in bed, sleeping for at least another 2 hours”. That thought however quickly dissipated as I realized how hot it already was for 5 am. My neighbor by this point was already in front of me and she smiled a most plesant smile as we greeted one another. We walked together to the top of the block and started to run. We agreed on a 3 mile run and then I would peel off at my house so Chris could leave for work, and she planned to go on and do another 3 miles. (How I envied that) So as we started our run and began to chat. Her pace is much faster than mine is right now but I kept up with her. I could feel that my
breathing was labored as I tried to talk and run…ah the perfect way to get me
to shut up…make me run. I also felt the sweat begin to pour out of me. The one
thing about running with someone new is that you seem to push yourself more. My
runs with Donna as of late have been ladened with my “I’ve gotta walk for a
minute.” statements. But today I did not do that. Although as I was huffing and
puffing and running up hills,I didn’t give in to the wants of my mind, and
believe me I wanted to stop on more than one occasion. Then at the end of our run
we started up my street from the bottom. I don’t live on a big hill,
more of a gradual one, but it is about three tenths of a mile up to my house
from the bottom and I hate running it. So here I am in a battle of mind vs. body. I once read that your mind will give up long before your body will with regards to running, so I kept that thought and pushed through. About 3 ½ minutes later I was bidding my neighbor a good day as I realized that that was the furthest I had run since last year without stopping. This was my breakthrough run. Breakthrough in the sense that I pushed
myself to do what I know I have already done a hundred times before. It’s just
getting through to myself that I need to push and not wimp out like a big baby.
So tomorrow I am slated to run with Donna. It will be a little later in the morning but I am hoping that I can do the same thing again.
The official 16 week marathon training is upon me now…and I’ve got to knuckle
under, put my nose to the grindstone, get my rear in gear, for that 16 weeks will
be here and gone in a New York minute!
Big Giant Dog... 